WHAT DOES THE WORD (SITZ) PREDSEDATEL’ HAVE A HYPHEN FOR, OR GRAFIKSATION AS A SYMPTOM


2017. № 3 (13), 395-406

Saint-Petersburg State University

Abstract:

The article deals with the use of words with the initial element of sitz- in modern texts, as well as with the fixation of such formations in lexicographic sources. The analyzed material not only testifies to the spellers’ persistent tendency to hyphenate words with an element of sitz- (in contempt of orthographic recommendations), but also to the autonomation of this element, which is expressed in its ability to be used as a noun. In this case, the hyphenation (splitting the word into parts with hyphens and giving these parts a different meaning) demonstrates that the differentiating spellings in Russian are characterized by the high functional status of ‘subtle meanings distinguishers’.